SAN FRANCISCO: Members of Congress have called on Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg to provide information about ads for opioids and other illegal drugs on the company’s platform. A letter signed by 19 lawmakers demanded details following concerning reports from the Tech Transparency Project and the Wall Street Journal.
“Meta appears to have neglected its social responsibility and violated its own community guidelines,” the letter stated. Earlier, in March the Tech Transparency Project reported exposing more than 450 ads on Facebook and Instagram promoting various illegal drugs. Many of the ads were blatant, featuring images of prescription drug bottles or bricks of cocaine and encouraging people to place orders, according to the non-profit research group.
The investigation involved searching Meta’s Ad Library using terms like “OxyContin,” “Vicodin,” and “pure coke,” TTP reported.
The lawmakers’ letter requested answers from Zuckerberg by September 6, asking how many illicit drug ads Meta has run on its platform, what actions have been taken, and whether viewers were targeted based on personal health information.
Meta stated that it plans to respond to the letter. “Drug dealers are criminals who operate across platforms and communities, which is why we collaborate with law enforcement to combat this activity,” a Meta spokesperson told AFP.
